Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Tex Wasabi's, co-owned by Guy Fieri and Steve Gruber, reopened for lunch yesterday after a 20-month closure. The building has been extensively renovated, redecorated and the menu has been revamped. The restaurant is open for full business today, Tuesday May 17, 2011.

The restaurant has more seating, large front windows and employs some 100 people. Brett Hutchison, chief operating officer, said that Guy Fieri will attend Tex Wasabi's grand reopening mid- to late-June.

In September 2009, a sewer pipe ruptured, causing severe water damage. "When you start pulling things away, we found out how bad it was, and we wanted to do this the right way," Hutchison said.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat visted with Michael Osterman, food and beverage director for Fieri’s two restaurant chains, Johnny Garlic’s and Tex Wasabi’s and Nicole Massey, training and catering director for Johnny Garlic’s and Tex Wasabi’s, who was part of the restaurant’s original crew.